Starting Off on the Wrong Foot
by TheLokiPokey
Summary: While in Venezia Ezio is introduced into a fellow assassin named Arabella Balestra. This is how they work together when they have too, until he moves to Roma. Sorta EzioxOC More along of the lines of friends with benefits than true love. Summary Fail/
1. Old Man

"So this, Arabella? She…"

"Is one of the fastest runners we have, probably the closest you'll get to La Volpe here in Venezia, Ezio." Antonio had assured him.

"Fine, where am I to meet her?" Antonio simply flicked his gaze upwards than back to Ezio and he was off. Closing the door quietly he swiftly scaled the scaffolding and stepped foot onto the roof to see a young girl re-tying her hair back up with a simple red ribbon.

"You are Arabella I assume?" She turned around and smiled.

"And you are Ezio Auditore, I assume." It was more of a statement than a question. They shook hands before nodding, without muttering a single word more they were off heading northwest. They were about half way there when Ezio stopped and leaned against a smokestack for a moment. Arabella was about two roofs ahead when she noticed he had stopped, and turned back around and see what was wrong.

"If you keep standing there a guard's going to notice you." He looked up at her and she was waiting hips cocked to one side and her arms across her chest.

"Just… need… a second…" He said in between breaths. She shrugged and started to walk off.

"Sure thing, old man." She mumbled while walking off. He froze for a second processing what she just said.

"What do you mean _old man_?" She stopped walking and turned her head smirking.

"Nothing at all, except that you're an old man." She shrugged, and in a split second had jumped into a sprint leading Ezio in the chase. Without another thought Ezio accepted the challenge sprinting after her. She actually had struck a chord in Ezio by calling him old, well actually she just struck his ego but to him it made no difference. He was going to make her take back the statement, though he had to remind himself that using his blade or tackling her would be a bad idea as well. She kept an even pace up occasionally pausing to turn around and taunt him only infuriating the assassin even more. She lept off the roof top, and he lost visual.

"_Cazzo_! I've lost the _piccoli_ _monello_. He saw a flash of white and quickly took after her. Because he kept on loosing visual he ran up some stacked boxes and took to the roofs to keep an eye on her. He spotted her perched on a beam that jutted out from a building. It took him no time to gain up on her and soon he was approaching her. He was about to say something when she held up a finger silencing him. That's when he overheard the conversation.

"So you completed it? You killed him and stole the charts?" It was someone of importance speaking quietly and hurriedly to what looked like a common thief.

"Si, but first give me the money." He was glancing around nervously, he knew someone was watching. He stopped glancing around, and just stood there. "Is there a reason we are being watched _assassini?_" Busted.

"You know very well why _bastardo_." Ezio had spoken up. Within a split moment the two targets ran separate ways. "I've got the noble you take care of the thief. Meet me back at the guild!" Ezio was already stalking down his target as he yelled. Arabella nodded and ran to chase down the thief.

* * *

><p>"<em>Requiescat in pace<em>" Ezio murmured as he closed the eyes of the late nobleman. He heard food steps behind him and stood up smirking. "I thought I told you to meet me back at the guild." He could physically hear her shrug this time.

"You were taking too long." This time the 'old man' bit was unsaid but understood none the less. He turned around to see her leaning against a wall with her arms across her chest and still smirking.

"Now, back to our discussion from earlier, _Old Man?_" The smirk on her face only enlarged itself. He was now towering over her leaning against his right arm semi-trapping her.

"I meant nothing by it! I just wanted to get you moving again." Her voice jumped up a pitch innocently, and she avoided eye contact with him. Now it was his turn to be the smug one. He cupped her chin with his left hand lifting her face towards his; he took a small step closer to her closing the small space that was between them. He smirked as he saw a blush crawling onto her face.

"So no more of this old man business _diritto mia bellezza_?" He was about to lean forward to kiss her, but a sudden noise cut him off. He immediately went into defense mode. "Who is there? Show you're self and I'll let you run." He saw a flash of orange. "_Cazzo_. Arabella did you see anythi-." His sentence was cut short when he turned around to see Arabella being carried off by a familiar form in all orange. "damn you Volpe." Was all Ezio could say before laughing.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay! So that is the end of chapter one… And before anyone says or asks anything no Ezio is not in love with her. The whole about to kiss her thing was me goofing around with the fact that Ezio is the type who will take the chance to get laid should it arise. The whole la volpe cock-blocking him is an on running joke with a friend that I use as a side story plot device. I repeat: EZIO IS NOT IN LOVE WITH MY OC :c<strong>


	2. Speaking of the Past

"You called him old?" La Volpe chuckled.

"Well he is nineteen years older than me, in my book that's old. And I only half meant it, I was really just trying to get him to hurry up or else we would've missed their meeting."

"I was not going to stop _that_ long." He almost yelled. He saw Arabella jump, Volpe simply glanced at Ezio. With a curt nod Ezio took a seat in the chair across from Arabella. He could've sworn she was blushing, but she had her hood up and the shadow obscured any change in the colour of her cheeks. "Anyways what are you doing in Venezia?"

"I called him here," Antonio cut in. She jumped again too. "and now that he is here you two need to leave." He pointed at the two assassins, the jerked his thumb towards his door. Ezio sighed as he forced himself from the comfortable chair and out the door. Arabella jumped up from her chair and followed after the other assassin.

"Bella!" A voice came from above, Ezio looked up to see a man, roughly around his own age staring down. "You've been gone far longer than you said you would be. Get yourself home _madre_ is going to get worried." He turned to look at Arabella, but she was already on the roof across from her brother heading towards what Ezio assumed to be the direction of her home. "Ezio Auditore?" He looked back at the man and nodded. Ezio took a few steps back as he watched the other climb down and take a small drop before landing in front of Ezio. "I am Aloysius Balestra, we've meet before but it was a long time ago, we were only children, and our fathers good friends and business partners." Ezio knew he had recognized the last name from somewhere. He did faintly recall meeting Aloysius and his father.

"I remember meeting you and your father, Zeno was his name right?" The two smiled at each other. "How has he been, you and your family as well?" The smile faded from Aloysius' lips.

"I guess with all what you've been doing you never found out. Our father died about 19 years ago, we didn't find out until a year later."

"I'm sorry I never knew." Aloysius smiled waving it off the apology.

"It is alright Ezio, you had more important matters to deal with. I'll say it is good to know that the line of Auditore assassins is not dead."

"Wait, how long had you known your father was an assassin."

"My whole life, I had been raised knowing the truth about assassins, and began training when I was eleven. That's why we would visit your family in Firenze, so your father could help train me in the ways of the assasins. I had always wondered why you and your brothers were never told about your herratige." A bit of envy rose in Ezio, he could see his own father training Aloysius and whished it was him instead. He stared off facing away now so Aloysius wouldn't see any change in expression if he had any.

"And I guess we will always wonder, now that he is gone." He muttered. Aloysius placed his hand upon Ezio's shoulder in a wordless apology. Now a tinge of guilt hit Ezio for being angry at Aloysius for something out of his control, he turned his head and smiled to change the subject. "So what about your sister, Arabella? What's her story?"


End file.
